Terry G. Carter - Preaching God’s Word, Second Edition

How This Book Came to Be

Several years ago we (Scott Duvall and Danny Hays) struggled to find a hermeneutics textbook to use in our classes here at Ouachita Baptist University that was appropriate and effective for teaching students how to study and interpret the Bible. There were lots of advanced books on hermeneutics, but we could not find any that really taught our students a practical, hands-on approach to reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible. We found ourselves changing textbooks each semester and developing our own material to supplement the textbooks.

Eventually we discussed this problem with Jack Kuhatschek at Zondervan, and he encouraged us to try to produce such a practical text. A few years later Grasping Gods Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible was published. It did indeed seem to fit the niche and now is being used regularly in numerous Christian universities, seminaries, and churches. We appreciate all of the positive feedback that we have received from professors, students, pastors, and laypeople from all over North America who have been using Grasping Gods Word.

Meanwhile our colleague Terry Carter, who regularly teaches biblical preaching at Ouachita Baptist University, also struggled to find a homiletics textbook appropriate for his students that was practical and contemporary yet still focused on biblical preaching. One afternoon the three of us (Carter, Duvall, and Hays) were at Zondervans booth at an Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) conference, chatting casually with the Zondervan staff. The topic of preaching came up, and all of us reaffirmed how important it is that preaching be biblical and follow sound hermeneutical principles like those presented in Grasping Gods Word. The Zondervan staff noted that there was a real need for a basic, introductory homiletics book that integrated sound hermeneutical principles into the practical aspects of sermon development and delivery. They suggested that perhaps the three of us could produce such a textbook.

With little time at that moment to give the idea serious consideration, the three of us soon scattered to attend various conference sessions (and Carter went to play golf). Later that night we gathered again at the annual ETS banquet. More than a thousand people were at the dinner, and dozens of waiters scrambled to serve the large crowd. The food looked great, and as far as we could tell, everyone in the banquet hall ate wellexcept Terry and Scott. They waited patiently for their food for quite some time, watching everyone else get served and begin to eat. Finally the waiters sheepishly told them that all of the food was gone; they couldnt be served. They were quite hungry by this time, so they slipped out and drove to the nearby IHOP. While eating pancakes there, they recalled the conversation at the Zondervan booth that afternoon and began discussing ideas for a practical homiletics textbook designed to teach students how to develop and deliver powerful biblical sermons. On a napkin at the IHOP they sketched the outline for this book.

The Nature of Preaching Gods Word

First and foremost, this book teaches students that preaching must be biblical: sermons must be based on a solid exegetical study of the Bible. In this sense, Preaching Gods Word is a companion text to Grasping Gods Word. In Grasping Gods Word the student learns how to use standard evangelical exegetical approaches to studying the Bible. Throughout Preaching Gods Word we build on this hermeneutical foundation, making frequent references to Grasping Gods Word in regard to interpretive issues. But Preaching Gods Word focuses on communicating Gods Word. It teaches students to take the results of their exegesis, develop them into a strong, coherent sermon, and then deliver that sermon in a powerful manner that connects with todays audiences.

We realize that not everyone using this book has studied Grasping Gods Word, and we have therefore structured Preaching Gods Word so that it is still beneficial to those who are unfamiliar with the earlier book. in Preaching Gods Word provides a good short summary of Grasping Gods Word, designed especially for those who need a review of the nuts and bolts of exegesis.

The subtitle sums up the book succinctly: A Hands-On Approach to Preparing, Developing, and Delivering the Sermon. Hands-on points to the practical orientation of the book. Preparing, developing, and delivering underscores that this book teaches both sermon development and sermon delivery. But from beginning to end, we stress that if sermons are to carry any authority, they must be firmly grounded in the Word of God.

The Organization of Preaching Gods Word

of this book focuses on developing and preaching a biblical sermon. It deals with critical issues common to most biblical sermons. In teaching this material, the book presents an eleven-step process:

Step 1: Grasp the Meaning of the Text in Their Town

Step 2: Measure the Width of the Interpretive River

Step 3: Cross the Principlizing Bridge

Step 4: Consult the Biblical Map

Step 5: Grasp the Text in Our Town

Step 6: Exegete Your Congregation

Step 7: Determine How Much Background Material to Include

Step 8: Determine the Sermon Thesis and Main Points

Step 9: Develop Text-Centered Applications

Step 10: Find Illustrations

Step 11: Write Out the Sermon and Practice Delivery

After learning basic biblical sermon development and delivery, the student moves on to analyze the unique challenges and opportunities of preaching from specific biblical genres. Thus covers the Old Testament genres: Old Testament narrative, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms and the Wisdom Literature. We cover preaching from the New Testament first because for most students, the New Testament is easier, and we find that learning progresses best when the student moves from the less difficult to the more difficult.

Target Audience for Preaching Gods Word

Preaching Gods Word is targeted primarily for beginning students. Especially in , this book assumes that the reader knows little about preaching and has little experience. Likewise reflecting the classroom tone are the assignments at the end of each chapter. If you are a professor using this book for a homiletics class, we encourage you to require your students not only to do these assignments but also to watch great preachers on the web or in person and to evaluate their sermons. In the course of the book, some preachers will be noted as good examples.

However, biblical preaching is a challenging enterprise, and we know that many, many preachers already active in a preaching ministry are interested in improving their sermons and their preaching skills. Perhaps you fall into this category. We think that this book will be helpful to you as well, and we have included a significant amount of material that may be new and helpful (for example, how to exegete your audience). Moreover, within sermon development, the issue of biblical hermeneuticshow to move from the biblical text to valid but relevant and powerful application in the lives of people todayis a huge challenge. Perhaps this book can assist you in that process. Regardless of your experience, you will probably find (Preaching the Old Testament) particularly helpful.